It has been found to be disadvantageous in ski brakes if the braking arms, in the pulled-in position or in the retracted position, project laterally too far over the edge of the ski. On the other hand, it is important that the braking arms have a certain width in order to find sufficient resistance also in powdery snow.
The disadvantage of too much lateral projection of the braking arms beyond the edge of the skis causes the skis to be no longer able to be guided very closely to one another and, for example in the case of deep snow, the braking arms will hinder travel of the ski when in the retracted position. Thus ski brakes have become known which consist substantially of a U-shaped bent wire, the legs of which are bent twice in the center of the length thereof and are pivotally supported at said bent area on the upper side of the ski, so that the upper portion of the legs function as the operating arms and the free ends of the legs as the braking arms. The erecting power is achieved by a torsion of the bent part in these brakes. In order to move the braking arms toward one another in their retracted position, an erecting mechanism is associated with the upper part of the U-shaped wire. This causes an inward pull of the wire in the area of the bent section and thus a movement of the braking arms toward one another. It is particularly disadvantageous in such brakes that the great force which is needed for erecting the brake to the braking position very strongly stresses the erecting mechanism and thus results in a very quick wear of the same. Also working of the wire or bending of the wire in the area of the bent sections effects a strong wear of the bearing portions. These circumstances can result, only after a short operating time, in a further reduction of the actually already small pulling-in capability.
Ski brakes of a different construction, as for example braking members which are pivotal about axes which extend in the longitudinal direction of the ski and which braking members rest in the retracted position on the upper side of the ski and are swung in the braking position next to the running surface of the ski, in turn have the disadvantage that they are not automatically swung into the retracted position during insertion of the boot into the binding.
Therefore the basic purpose of the invention is to provide a brake mechanism for skis, which avoids the above-listed disadvantages and assures a movement of the braking arms toward one another in the retracted position.
The invention provides that the holding arms have at least one area which is sloped or curved relative to one another and are guided in or on a slide piece, for example a bar or the like, which, depending on the path of swing of the holding arms, is movably controlled along the holding arms and determines the spacing between the holding arms. As a result, guiding of the braking arms together in the retracted position is assured. The braking arms are preferably pulled in along their swivel axis. It can hereby be advantageous, if the slide piece is elastically prespring-tensioned into the braking position.
A preferred exemplary embodiment is distinguished by the slide piece or the like being guided on a slide of a holding plate. In order to be able to adjust the braking arms to the respective width of the ski, it is preferable, if the width of the slide piece or the like can be adjusted.
In a preferred exemplary embodiment, the ends of the holding arms are connected through a weblike surface or are designed in one piece and are elastically prespring-tensioned to or from one another. Already through this it is possible to achieve an automatic swinging out of the braking arms into the braking position, or increasing the erecting power of another spring.